Florida football: Gators RB tandem declares for 2022 NFL draft

Florida Football RB – Malik Davis

Projection: Mid Round 6 – Mid Round 7

The other half of the Florida Gators RB duo is Malik Davis, who has a very similar build to Dameon at 5’10” 207.  However, despite such a similar frame, he plays almost a completely different form of football than Pierce does.  Davis focuses a ton on lateral agility, he can bounce outside quickly and has a good but quick juke move that he can repeat time and time again and be effective.  He has a higher play speed than Pierce does and has a much quicker release off the line, however, he does not have the same ability to run through contact.  He is not a patient rusher by any means, as he will run into the first gap he sees form on the line, which works sometimes and ends up being a benefit.

The best rush I could find to demonstrate his abilities was against USF this season in Florida’s bowl game.  On a 19 yard TD rush, you can see Davis’ quick burst into the gap, as well as his ability to turn mid-run and get away from a defender and spin his way into another into the endzone.

In terms of his stats, he was also somewhat lacking in production in 2021, due to splitting carries with Pierce.  He would end the 2021 season with the following statline:

• 92 rushing attempts for 489 yards (5.3 YPC) and 5 touchdowns
• 23 receptions for 217 receiving yards (9.4 per reception) and 2 receiving touchdowns
• 14 kick returns for 319 yards (22.8 yards per return)

Overall, Pierce has a huge impact on special teams for the Gators due to his speed and lateral agility.  If anything, he should get a chance in the NFL draft due to that alone, and potentially build into a role with a team as a committee change of pace back.